MORE SPRING CHECKUPS: Linebackers | Offensive line
There is plenty of potential in the secondary, but the unit has a lot to prove. There is a nice mix of youth and experience that cornerbacks coach Greg Brown and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter need to sort through.
No doubt, Purdue can't allow foes to complete 61.8 percent of their passes like they did last season. Only one Big Ten team was more generous (Maryland, 65.2). Pass defense struggles played a part in the defense finishing 12th in the Big Ten in third-down conversions. Foes converted 40.6 percent on third downs, as Purdue couldn’t get off the field consistently. No doubt, a better pass rush would have helped matters. Maybe a new 3-4 scheme being installed by coordinator Bob Diaco will help.
THE SKINNY: Purdue has a promising building block in sophomore cornerback Cory Trice. The 6-3, 215-pound Trice moved from safety to corner late in training camp and did well. He tied for the club lead in interceptions with three and had a pick six. As he gets more experience, Trice could become a standout after he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors by the media last year after starting five games as a redshirt freshman in 2019.
Corner coach Greg Brown has veteran options in juniors Dedrick Mackey and Kenneth Major, but each still needs to play with more consistency. The coaches wanted to get an up-close look at JC transfer Geovonte Howard this spring. But the 5-11, 185-pound Howard failed to clear academic hurdles. It's hoped he'll arrive this summer. Purdue needs him to be a plug-and-play addition.
At safety, Purdue has a rising talent in Cam Allen. He impressed as a true freshman in 2019, hitting the ground running and quickly becoming a key cog. He finished with 32 tackles, showing a penchant for delivering big hits along the way.
Brennan Thieneman is a glue-guy at safety who is equal parts athletic ability and smarts. He started the final five games at strong safety in 2019. And then there is senior Simeon Smiley, a versatile piece to the secondary puzzle who has played a lot of football. Smiley can play corner, nickel and safety, too.
Keep an eye on redshirt freshman safety Marvin Grant. He was primed to play a key role in 2019 as a true freshman but hurt a shoulder and redshirted. The 6-2, 205-pound Grant is a big hitter who would figure to excel playing close to the line of scrimmage.
True freshman Sanoussi Kane is eager to learn and improve, as he turned heads after arriving early for spring practices. Kane has good energy and likes contact.
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